You're Not Alone
by CorinnetheAnime
Summary: Zarc suffered from nightmares on an occasional basis. But that didn't mean that they didn't hurt any less. This time, however, he had someone who was willing to help him overcome that horrible past... A little ZarcxRay one shot that may or may not be canon with my story, "When Darkness Falls."


**This was something that literally came to my mind when I woke up today. Had some strange dreams (as usual) and I was aware in them. XD Then it made me think of something that relates to Zarc and my plans for him mentally in the story, so here is a little "snippet" of it.**

 **Contains Zarc and Ray. Be warned as this little oneshot can be a little intense, emotionally sad, and possibly relatable to a lot of people who have PTSD/C-PTSD (or not). I mean no disrespect to you or your struggles, and I wish you all good health. :) I did my best to make this as realistic as possible, so forgive me for any inaccuracies.**

 **Almost forgot! Special shoutout to _Ghostkid33_ and _Writertainer_ for their help.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Screams and death everywhere. It rang through the air, filling everyone's ears with a cacophony of terror. The city was in a panic, left in ruins, and in extension the whole world, of the horror that was happening right before then._

 _"Run away, quickly!"_

 _"It's the Supreme King Dragon!"_

 _"He's going to kill us all!"_

 _"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"_

 _Citizens clamored in a loud uproar, trying with all their might to escape the terrifying monster in the sky above them. Mothers carried their babes in their arms to protect them from the fires, children were screaming for their parents, and all sorts of animals, trapped in their homes, shrieked and cried out in pure fear._

 _A dark wrathful roar drowned out all those screams and wails, shaking the sky and earth with its intensity. Bursts of blazing green-yellow fire, more scorching than the sun's heat itself, burned everything in sight to dust._

 _Destruction was everywhere, skyscrapers falling to the ground as their supports were weakened by the flames, crushing the inhabitants below. Many homes and apartments were covered in fire, and it was growing too much for the police and fire departments to handle. Smoke blacker than the night filled the nightmarish atmosphere, as the moon, now blood red, hung low in the distance._

 _Everyone knew the threat to humanity, the terrifying monster that ruled supreme over them. Various branches of military used their weapons on the dragon, but it had no effect as the missiles all deflected off his arm and wings and collided with the city. Any brave duelists who still remained alive and in the city tried to take him down, but their hopes were in vain._

 _One by one they fell before his fire. Extinguished forever. The villain smiled wickedly at his work, seeing that he was finally unstoppable. He was the strongest being in existence. Nobody could tear him down. Nobody could bring him to his knees anymore!_

 _Rather, it was they who all fell before him, groveling on their hands and knees, begging for mercy from his hand...only for him to take it all away. What a delicious irony. It served them right, finally getting a taste of their own medicine after subjecting him to their lusts..._

 _ **"IS THERE NO ONE LEFT TO CHALLENGE ME?"** he bellowed at the top of his lungs, glaring hatefully at the remains of the city. They ran away from him like ants, squirming and writhing underneath his power, and it sickened him, offended him. **"THEN PERISH!"**_

 _Hours rolled by into days, and the destructive mark of the Supreme King Dragon quickly spread throughout the whole world. Hope faded away more and more each day as his power grew stronger and stronger..._

 _Until that all changed one day, when one duelist managed to defeat him. Ray Akaba. The one who stood up, stood tall against him, the woman with the power to end his tyranny once and for all, waiting to be unleashed in her hand. She confronted him at the top of the hill in the city, a desolate landscape now laid in ruins and almost completely deserted. Disaster ran amok everywhere, but that didn't shake her resolve in the slightest._

 _Raising her arm, the environment around her glowed a bright shining yellow, responding in accordance to her will to defeat the evil in the skies, to end the evil of the corrupted darkness._

 _The dragon reeled its head back and roared; its entire demeanor had suddenly changed. Sheer pain erupted in its form, the four dragons within its form all screaming, suddenly petrified in fear as they felt their bond getting severed due to those wretched cards..._

 _It affected the demon the most, screaming louder than them._

 _ **"Curse you!"** A low hiss escaped from his lips, malicious and yet desperate. He wanted to get away from those cards, feeling his power and dignity fade away his hope crumbling down in mere seconds. He didn't want it to end like this! It shouldn't end like this! How could someone, this girl, take him down so easily, so agonizingly?_

 _The power of the cards started to seep deeper into his body, into his very soul, and started to literally split him apart._ _Every moment of it was agonizing, as if a thousand knifes were carving into his flesh. Pure, indescribable, hellish pain._

 _Screaming in horror, the demon lashed back at his enemy, his yellow eyes glowing with anguish and rage. **"I will come back! I will...w-we will become ooooooooooonnnnnnnnee!"**_

 _His dragons all roared along with him, but they soon grew silent as the cards split them up, and his worst fears were realized in that split second. He lost them...for good. It happened so quickly, but it was a moment that gripped his heart in pure anguish._

 _He was completely alone._

 _A bright white light flashed before his eyes, and physical torment wracked his whole body as it literally tore apart along with the dimensions, leaving his final, echoing scream to be unheard by anyone..._

* * *

Zarc bolted up from his nightmare, his eyes wide and glowing demonic red. He didn't realize that he was still screaming from his sleep, feeling his whole body being wracked in pain from that fateful day.

Every limb shook. His breaths were sharp and quick, hyperventilating. Sweat as cold as ice pooled down from his face, arms, and back, but he was still extremely hot and uncomfortable. His claws almost ripped through the sheets from the tight grip, which turned his already pale-grey knuckles a sickly white. He could feel his heart thumping madly in his chest like a frightened rabbit's, almost painfully.

The dream he had was very familiar to him in past restless nights, but the horrifying images of his split still flashed before his eyes. _**"Please, make it stop! Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop..."**_

If there was anything he hated, it was losing. Having his body and soul split apart was a physical pain, but what psychologically messed him up was the loss of his comrades. His precious dragons, his best friends, soon snatched away from his hands and leaving him in that hellish abyss caused by those cards...

Zarc's mantra grew more unhinged and incoherent, his mind reliving the same nightmarish images over and over again. He wanted to scream and lash out, trying to end this torture in some way...

 _You killed everyone._

He saw nothing but destruction, pain, fear and heartbreaking sorrow all around him. The banshee screams of the innocent, people he mindlessly _killed_ and _tortured_ , rang against his ears over and over with no signs of ending. The demon whined against his teeth, wanting the noise to just stop.

 _ **"No more, please!"**_ His claws, twitching from his fears, tore through the bedsheets with a loud _rip_. His already shaky voice stuttered out into the dark, _**"P-please! No...more...pain! I...I d-don't...want to hear it..."**_

 _You did this to us!_

 _You're nothing but a demon, a monster!_

Zarc shook his head, feeling hot tears burning against his eyes. _**"Pl-please...I-I'm not who y-you...think..."**_ He stumbled in his words, scrunching his eyes tight. Their cries still echoed in his mind.

 _All you desire is to destroy and hate!_

 _Demon!_

 _Freak!_

 _You'll just destroy everything..._

 _Destroy..._

 **Destroy...**

He screamed loudly, his red eyes flashing brighter than before.

Trapped in his neverending torment, Zarc didn't realize that he had unintentionally disturbed the person next to him with his piercing cry, who once had a peaceful, dreamless slumber. Scrunching her eyes and moaning softly, she yawned in a low tone.

"Z-Zaaaaarc?" Ray blinked her eyes open, not needing to squint as the bedroom was still dark. Her sense still numb from the lingering fatigue, she was tempted to check the clock next to her for the current time, but her ears quickly picked up on what was happening with the demon.

 _ **"S-stop..."**_ He whined softly like a dog, sounding hurt and afraid. _**"Please, make it stop!"**_

"Zarc?" Ray rose up fully from her warm spot, rubbing her eyes and becoming more alert when noticing that her lover was trapped in a hallucination. She also noticed the faint red glow of his Awakened state, followed by a faint cloak of Darkness surrounding his body.

Her eyes softened from the realization. Ray knew he was suffering from whatever horrors he was facing, and it pained her to know that there was little she could do to help the situation. But she could definitely try to help bring him back to reality before things took a turn for the worse.

Turning to her nightstand, she turned on the lamp to bring a little light into the room, also reaching for a glass of water that she had prepared beforehand.

"It's not there, Zarc. Whatever you're experiencing or seeing at the moment, it feels very intense and real...but it's not." Ray scooted slightly next to him, gently rubbing her thumb over one of his hands and holding the glass with the other hand. "I'm real. And so is this room. Try to calm down and see..."

He flinched in response, his sobs hitching in pitch. _**"N-no..."**_

"It'll be alright, dear." She wasn't angry or frustrated with his response. "Listen to my voice...everything will be alright."

His breaths still quickened, hyperventilating at an alarming rate. _ **"N-no, it'll...never be..."**_ Zarc bowed his head in resign, eyes still wide in fear. _**"I'll...never..."**_

"You will be, dear. Just take deep breaths...in and out." Her voice was calm, velvety to his ears. "Breath in, Zarc."

 _ **"I..."** _He hiccuped, nearly choking on his own tears, which ran down his throat. _**"I..."**_

"Breathe deep and slow, dear." Ray demonstrated for him, inhaling and exhaling quietly. It worked slightly, as he attempted to take a few shaky breaths despite his current state. It came out in choked gasps, but his hyperventilation soon started to fade away.

Seeing that some progress had been made, Ray stayed with him throughout the trauma attack, speaking soft and gentle words, not leaving his side for even one second. She made sure to stay calm and quiet, not making any sudden movements or noises that would worsen his fears or mood. It didn't shake off the feeling of helplessness in her heart, however.

Ray knew that she was partially the cause of it, if this dream was the one related to their broken past...

 _I wish there was more that I can do for you, Zarc._

When he calmed down considerably, finally returning to some of his senses, she placed her arm over his back right between his wings, and gently reassured him to help ease some of the pain. It was a sweet gesture that often helped relax both his nerves and hers.

"Feeling a little better now?" she asked.

Zarc slowly turned his head to face her. His red eyes, a harrowing sight that Ray had grown accustomed to after a while, still showed his inward turmoil. Her heart broke from the absolutely pained look in them.

 _ **"I...I don't know...it still hurts..."**_ The demon lowered his ears, feeling ashamed and guilty. He hated himself for doing this to her.

"I see..." She rubbed his back some more, feeling him flinch slightly. Ray knew he was not completely used to touch thanks to his past, keeping only her hand on his back. "Do you...want to talk about it?"

Zarc wrapped his arms around himself, averting her eyes. **"I...I'm sorry."**

"For what?"

His eyes were sad, brimming with tears. _**"I'm sorry...I keep screwing up. A-always making mistakes."**_

"Zarc..." She was ready to retort, but then stopped herself. Her friend was in a very vulnerable mental state, no thanks to the trauma he had, and it would be best to let him speak about his troubles to help relieve his mind.

Listening to his self-deprecating words were difficult, however. _**"I messed up e-everything. When I was an entertainment duelist, all I w-wanted was to make people feel the happiness I never had, but I screwed it all up..."**_

Ray stayed quiet, letting him release all of his pent-up frustration and anguish that was buried deep in his soul.

 _ **"I let myself become blinded by-by rage."**_ Zarc struggled to breathe, having to take deep gulps of air just to speak. _**"** ** _H_ -hearing** **the audience's cries for violence and bloodlust reminded me of all the pain I w-went through, of how uncaring and cruel the people I was raised around were. Instead of dueling to bring smiles, I let their c-cries get to me and sn-snapped from years of pent up h-h-hurt and n-neglect..."** _He took another shaky breath, struggling not to break down in front of her. _**"I just...keep messing up..."**_

His back hunched over slightly, as if bearing a heavy burden. Zarc found it more difficult to speak, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. _**"I keep making m-mistakes. I am a m-mistake...a d-demon..."**_

Zarc broke down and cried softly in utter despair, drooping his wings as well. Ray slowly pulled him into a warm embrace, not caring if his tears stained her nightwear and skin. He moaned and dropped his head on her shoulder, the rest of his body slumping with exhaustion and submission. Ray could feel a wave of complete and total _defeat_ emanate from his body, her heart breaking even more from the demon's pain.

Her warm, soft fingers brushed gently over the base of his wings, hoping to alleviate some of his torment. "Zarc, listen to me. You're not a mistake," she soothed in a quiet tone, finding herself to be crying too. "You're not a mistake, so don't believe any voices who tell you otherwise."

Zarc scrunched his eyes shut, feeling some of his tears burn against the eyelids. _**"But...but I am. I'm the reason our homeworld is gone...why most of the natives are dead..."**_

"That's in the past now. It doesn't define you and me now." She smiled warmly at him. "I've forgiven you for what happened back then, and so have a few of our friends. You don't have to be weighed down by it anymore."

She used her free hand to wipe away his tears. He sniffled, his eyes, which were puffy from the crying, soon reverting back to their normal gold hue. Pain still reflected in his gaze, but she could find a faint glimmer of hope in them as well.

"It will be okay." Ray found herself struggling to smile, caressing his scaled cheek in smooth circles with her thumb. "Things are different now than they were back in the Original Dimension." She reached up for his shoulders, performing small massages on them and feeling the texture of the scales underneath. "The people here are nicer, kinder, more accepting. We both have friends, people who can help and support us when we need it. And you..." she tilted his chin up, "have me as your closest friend and partner. I'll always be here for you, dear."

Zarc blinked slowly, processing her words. It was true; she was now there for him. He wasn't alone anymore, forced to live on his own. **_"That's...right. You're here."_** He looked around slightly. ** _"So is...this room."_**

Ray nodded, handing him the glass of water and gently placing it in his hand. His hand shook slightly, making the water slosh around inside the glass. "Here, drink this. You need it more than me."

The demon, not wanting to be rude after receiving the kind gesture, mumbled a quiet word of gratitude, taking a sip of the water before gulping it down with little restraint. When he was finished, Ray took the glass and placed it back on her nightstand, filling it up from a nearby water bottle in case he wanted more. Zarc declined, finding himself to be exhausted due to his previous trauma attack and rush of adrenaline.

It took a lot out of him, both physically and mentally. Ray didn't blame him in the slightest.

But Zarc still feared having that same nightmare, remembering those horrible memories every time he closed his eyes. It haunted him down to his core, seeing the hallowed, disfigured faces of his victims as they burned in the sire, hearing their shrieking wails and the screeches of his dragons when they were forcefully separated from him...

He sighed sadly as he settled back down in bed. _**"I...I don't know if I can sleep now."**_

Ray laid down next to him. "I understand. You're still afraid of the past, aren't you?"

 _ **"Y-yes."**_

His girlfriend sensed the faint stutter in his tone, smiling warmly. "It's okay to show your feelings, dear."

He took slow, deep breaths, shaking his head. He hated waking her up with his troubles, knowing he probably disturbed her dreams and whatnot.

 _ **"I-I'm fine. I don't want you to lose sleep over it."**_

"But you're the one who needs rest." Ray gave him a pointed glance, deciding in the end to snuggle up with him by laying her head on his chest, a kind gesture that he wasn't expecting. "Let's sleep together this time. I'll be right here if you need me for anything, and I mean _anything."_

 ** _"I don't want to be a bother."_** His heart clenched with sadness. She was always sacrificing for him, and here he was, still worried and filled with anxiety. How could she deal with him?

"You're not a bother to me, Zarc." She rose up slightly, parting away a few bangs that framed his face. "Don't tear yourself down, dear. No matter what happens, I love you and will support you from now on. I...don't want you to live in fear and loneliness anymore."

Before Zarc could retort, she gripped his face with both hands. Their eyes met, his gold and her purple mixing together in that tender gaze.

Wanting to show him her true feelings, her support and care for his wellbeing, Ray lowered her head till her lips met his, giving him a slow, passionate kiss that melted away any remaining anxiety and pain in his soul. She was there, his former worst enemy, now turned lover and friend, freely loving and kissing him to help heal his wounded heart.

What did he do to deserve someone like her? There was nothing, absolutely nothing. She chose to be with him out of her own volition...and he was eternally grateful for that.

 _You really are my angel._

Zarc reciprocated and deepened the kiss, relishing in the moment. She was so soft and warm against his rough exterior, soon reaching one hand up to grip her cheek as they soon parted for air. His pupils dilated like a feline's, a sign that he was finally relaxed, calm, and overall very happy. Happy that he had _her_ in a hard time such as this.

Panting softly, he smiled back up at her. Ray always knew how to calm his anxiety down and make him feel loved in his darkest moments. _**"Thank you, dear. I...really needed that."**_

She giggled softly, relieved that her lover was finally content. She missed that grin of his, the warm and genuine smile that reflected his true happiness. Pulling up the covers (she could replace the torn sheets in the morning) up to their chests, she laid down on him. He draped his arm over her back, while hers wrapped around his middle and abdomen.

"I'm always here for you, dear." She yawned again, soon drifting off to sleep. "I love you..."

Zarc embraced her tighter, taking in her scent before it lulled him back into slumber as well. He purred softly in his sleep, no longer worried about what would happen to him lest he had another attack. With Ray by his side...he didn't have to worry.

 _ **"I love you too..."**_

He didn't have any nightmares for the rest of the night, thanks to her warm presence.

* * *

 **And bam! That's it! Haha, I actually have my own theory with the Awakened state to hopefully explain why he usually only has them when he's angry. (My theory is with almost any emotion to an extreme extent after the birth of SKDZ, but anger was the main one as that was canon for the show).**

 **I guess this sorta reveals one of the things I have for Zarc. XD I could've revealed a lot more, but I think this is ambiguous enough to the story.** **I will not confirm whether this is canon with it or not. XD Some elements of it are, but not completely sure about everything.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Till next time, this is CTA out and God is good!**


End file.
